How long does it take a large desert tortoise to get to the other side of a Southern Arizona highway?
Itโs still a mystery, after a state Department of Public Safety trooper recently helped rescue an escaped sulcata tortoise that was attempting to cross Interstate 10 near Picacho, about 45 miles north of Tucson.
A motorist contacted authorities on July 30 to report a tortoise trying to cross the busy highway thatโs halfway between Casa Grande and Tucson in Pinal County.
The motorist and DPS Sgt. Steven Sekrecki managed to get the tortoise off the roadway unharmed.
Troopers saw the name โStitchโ labeled across the tortoiseโs shell and contacted an ostrich ranch that was 3 miles away.
According to the Arizona Republic, the ranch confirmed Stitch was one of their resident tortoises and had recently escaped from his habitat.
The newspaper said Stitch was safely returned to the ranch.
